I hate mead!!!

**Zamial** · 10-06-2010, 02:30 PM

or so I thought...I had tried a few meads that I bought. These tasted very much like white wine, I was not a fan. I had others telling me that what I had is a poor example of mead.

Jump forward. Our family makes apfelwein from fresh pressed apples that is 100% organic. I saw mom adding in sugar and I thought why not use honey? I asked her and she did not want to mess with the recipe she knows.

After a bit of digging I came across: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/caramel-apple-mead-68519/ and thought this looks very similar to what I want but even better! Unfortunately, I was unsure that I would like it so I only made 2.5 gallons and used ingredients I had or was able to get cheaply.

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: Lalvin K1v1116
Yeast Starter: yes
Batch Size (Gallons): 2.5
Original Gravity: 1.120
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU: n/a
Steep Time (Minutes): 60
Color: golden brown
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 15 days at 65F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 35 days at 65F

3 Gallons apple juice
1.5 lbs wheat DME
2 lbs 40L Crystal malt
5 lbs clover honey (Sue Bee)

I steeped the grains at 155 for 60 min. in the apple juice. Then rinsed the grains with cold juice. I lost about 1/2 a gallon to the grains absorption. Then mixed in the DME and honey. Pitched and I shook the carboy for a good 10 minutes.

This thing took off like it was trying to propel itself. It is a REAL good thing I used a blow off tube. It is all settled down now and the krausen fell, but when this thing was rocking it smelled GREAT!

I am sure that this will not be the "best mead ever" but I have high hopes that this stuff will be really tasty. BTW I nailed the original gravity. Any speculations out there?

LightningInABottle · 10-06-2010, 03:57 PM

I made a 5 gallon batch of this last year and it has been bulk aging ever since. I also used only cheap light clover honey, which I detest the smell of. I did up the ABV to 18% and it went completely dry in 2 1/2 weeks. Right now I am waiting for some local fall wildflower honey to back sweeten it with. The fall wildflower honey here is much darker than the spring/summer wildflower honey and people say that it has a bit of a nutty taste to it. Currently the funky clover honey smell is gone and there is a big apple smell with a carmel undertone to it. It is slowly clearing and I don't think I am going to fine it with superkleer. I hope your batch goes well. I am thinking of starting another batch with the fall honey instead of using clover once it comes in.

**Zamial** · 10-06-2010, 05:37 PM

Since, I used wheat DME I do not think all the superklear in the universe is going to get this stuff clear. I may be wrong but it looks like caramel right now. I have no hang ups on the "clearness of brews" be it a beer or anything else.

Since, you have this with nearly the same ingredients as I, how does it taste? Just curious...

Thanks!

LightningInABottle · 10-06-2010, 05:55 PM

Mine is dark brown right now, but if I hold a flash light on the other side of the carboy you can see it. I don't see anymore particles floating around in it.

As of the last racking it has very little taste. I only had a sip. It is much smoother than when I racked it off the secondary. I think the key to the recipe is to use a dark honey like buckwheat or the fall wildflower honey I am planning on to bring out the taste. It is bone dry though and if you have ever had a totally dry mead there is little taste when you first start drinking it and it tends to come out when you have a bit more. I had a blood orange mead that was the same way. Then I added a cup of honey to the 5 gallon batch and the flavor really popped. I'm expecting the same to happen with the carmel apple mead especially because the smell is off the charts good.

What is the fall wildflower honey like in Wisconsin? You only need a pound of dark honey to backsweeten once you hit it with the k-meta/k-sorbate. Here is what fall honey looks like https://laneyhoney.com/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=65&osCsid=b333706a9c82166933bf eceb53386b1f This is from the Michigan/Indiana area.